Friends raise money for wounded Palm Beach property manager

David Rogers

Sunday

Sep 4, 2016 at 12:01 AMSep 4, 2016 at 9:49 PM

On Oct. 3, 2014, Jeremy Holland’s life was turned upside down.

That morning, a former doorman Holland fired months earlier burst into the property manager’s office at The President of Palm Beach condominium and shot Holland point-blank in the head, according to police.

Holland and his fiancée, Dana Enriquez — who witnessed the shooting and told police Croghan waved the gun at her — are moving on with their lives.

But it’s a real struggle.

A year after the shooting, it’s not clear how much of Holland’s cognitive loss is permanent, he doesn’t have full use of his hands and he needs a cane to walk. He’s undergoing hyperbaric oxygen treatments to improve his mental function and decrease the intensity of frequent headaches.

But those treatments are not covered by insurance and his out-of-pocket expenses now total $17,000, according to Omah Padron of Lake Worth, a friend of the couple. She provides accounting services to The President of Palm Beach condo and has known Holland and Enriquez for years.

The past year has been horrific and exhausting for Holland, Padron said. "Just incredible pain, a lot of therapy, hard work every day," she said. He sometimes spends 8 to 10 hours a day doing physical and mental therapy, she said.

"Every kind of therapy you can think of, he’s in," she said. "It’s very emotional and very tough on everyone, mostly on him.

"When this happened, no one on the island could believe it would happen to him. He would walk into a room and everyone would immediately fall in love with him. He’s just gregarious and fun and happy and genuinely kind," Padron said.

The benefit was called Jeremy’s Thumbs Up Benefit 40th and 41st Birthday Bash because the shooting occurred just days before his 40th birthday. By 3 p.m. Sunday, a few dozen supporters had arrived at the event. Enriquez called the support amazing.

Holland experienced two seizures Saturday night and asked Enriquez to answer questions from the Daily News.

Enriquez said her fiancé is working hard to get better, but every day is a challenge. "You have to learn to adjust to a new normal and a new life," she said.

Enriquez decried the gun violence in schools and workplaces that happen every day in this country.

"I think in some way that needs to be addressed, I’m not sure how," Enriquez said.

The suspect in Holland’s shooting, Charles Croghan, will stand trial for attempted murder and aggravated assault some time between March 28 and April 18.

Those interesting in helping Holland can contribute money through any Wells Fargo branch via account number 3464805484.